Pros and Cons of Investing in Marketing for Your Online Business

As the CEO of a digital marketing agency, I have the privilege of working with businesses that are just starting to become multi-million dollar corporations. After over twenty years in this business, I can tell you that there’s a major indicator of future success for online businesses.

Businesses bound to succeed understand that marketing is an INVESTMENT, not an expense. 

But how does spending money on digital marketing increase your business’s revenue? We’ll discuss three ways you can invest in your business’s marketing and the pros and cons of each. Let’s get into it. 

Content Overview

Marketing as an Investment
Time is Money
Paid Advertisements
Automation and Software
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
Stay Tuned
How Jennie Lyon Digital Marketing Can Help

Marketing as an Investment

When I say that marketing is an investment, there are several ways I could mean this. 

If you run a local business, you could pay for advertising measures, including social media advertisements or mail correspondence. 

You could pay for marketing automation software, customer relationship management (CRM) software, etc. 

But investing in your marketing could also involve hiring someone (or a team) of professionals to handle the digital marketing portion of your business so you can focus on what you do best: running your business. 

As a newer business, all of these can sound daunting because all you register is, “I have to spend money, but I’m not making enough money yet.” So, let’s talk more about each one and why I can confidently say that marketing is a key indicator of success for a small business. 

Time is Money

We’ve all heard this saying, and as business owners, we feel it. I know there have been days in my business when I barely left my desk for hours. And then, at the end of the day, you feel like you didn’t get much done. 

Another popular saying in business is, “You’re going to pay for your success one way or another, either with your time or money.”

There are times in business when it makes sense to invest your time, and at a certain point, it’s imperative to invest your money so you can grow this business from a start-up to a booming business.

FREE RESOURCE: Smart Goals Template

Paid Advertisements

Another way you invest in your marketing is through paid advertisements. This is probably the first thing most newer business owners think of because their main goal is to get more eyes on their business.

I want to clarify something about paying for advertisements on search engines or social media: Running ads is not always the answer to getting more eyes on your business. 

In my experience working with businesses in dozens of industries, ads are the most impactful when they have a strategy and utilize messaging already working with their audience.

Pros & Cons

So, the pro about paid advertisements is that you can get a quick return on investment with the right ad copy, graphics, and targeting. 

The con of paid ads is that they can also be a major waste of funds without a strong advertisement strategy and valuable market research and insights. 

FREE RESOURCE: $10/Day AD Strategy

Automation and Software

The beauty of the digital age is the plethora of software, automation, and programs available on the internet that can help grow your business. Even some AI programs are breaking into the market (although it’s another topic for another day, why I’d steer clear of those, at least right now). 

These programs aim to save time by automating certain marketing processes, including lead management, content creation, and offer delivery (such as memberships and courses). 

Pros & Cons

The pro of investing in marketing automation and software is that they save you time, which is a great help. 

The con is that you must know how to set these programs up and make them run optimally for your customer journey and your specific offer suite… which can be a challenge if the words “funnel” and “customer journey” sound like marketing jargon to you. 

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

I may be biased, but this is my favorite way for a business to invest in its marketing for many reasons. 

I believe a CEO should be able to be a CEO instead of the CEO, the CFO, the chief marketing officer, and more. You are an individual with a particular set of strengths, and imagine how much more you can get done if you let a marketing professional take the reins. 

I’m full of sayings today, but “many hands make light work” comes to mind. If you’re tired of sitting at your desk for hours without feeling like you’re progressing in your business, it’s time to outsource your marketing. If your sales have stagnated or declined for several weeks, it’s time to look into outsourcing your marketing. 

Pros & Cons

The obvious pro is that you can do much more with time because you have multiplied your workforce toward your goal. 

The cons are that you need to be specific about who you’re hiring for this role. If you feel your business has a thriving marketing strategy and all you need is someone to execute it, you can hire a marketing virtual assistant or something similar to take your direction on their next steps. 

However, suppose you or your current marketing team don’t understand digital marketing strategies. In that case, you’ll want to hire someone who specializes in the specific area of marketing you’re looking to outsource. Even better, hire an agency with a team of strategists and professionals who can create and execute your strategy to grow your business to the next level. 

FREE RESOURCE: How to Use Our Digital Marketing Team to Grow Your Business & Get Your Life Back

Stay Tuned

If you’re ready to outsource your business’s marketing but want to know where to start, stay tuned for next week’s podcast, in which I discuss what to look for in a marketing agency. 

How Jennie Lyon Digital Marketing Can Help

The word “invest” can be so scary for online business owners. Still, at Jennie Lyon Digital Marketing, we take the stress and the fear out of your investment with proven, innovative marketing strategies that get REAL results! 

Done-for-You and Done-With-You Marketing

Jennie Lyon Digital Marketing can provide all of your marketing support, including:

• Marketing Funnel Audit & Strategy
• Social Media Audit & Strategy
• Social Media Advertisements Audit, Strategy & Management
• And more!

Marketing Office Hours

I recently started offering consultation packages, and I realized that some businesses would benefit from short-term consultations with a digital marketing strategist. 

So, I’m excited to tell you I’m now offering Marketing Office Hours. You can book a time on my calendar to consult with a marketing team member about your marketing questions or needs. This is the FASTEST way to get feedback and strategy input from the Jennie Lyon Digital Marketing team. 

If you are one of those businesses, book a marketing office hours call with us today, and let’s work together to craft a winning strategy for your new offer. We can’t wait to help you achieve the success you deserve!

Book Your Marketing Office Hours Call Today!

Links for This Episode:

Marketing Office Hours: https://jennielyon.com/marketing-office-hours/
Discover Your Digital Marketing Success Path: https://jennielyon.com/quiz
How to Use Our Digital Marketing Team
Schedule a free call with Jennie today: https://jennielyon.com/chatwithjennie

Get in touch with Jennie:
Free Consultation: https://jennielyon.com/chatwithjennie
Website: jennielyon.com
Social Media: @jennielyonmarketing

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